What's changed on The Dream

[Flopsy]

We have just returned from Spanish Escapades 5 night cruise.

 

I didn't notice any change in staffing ratios- but Maggie who went upstairs in the Broadway show lounge said that there was only one waitress to serve the drinks whereas previously there were two. The one waitress was struggling to get round everybody on her own.

 

The ice cream machines in the Lido restaurant were covered up all week which was disappointing. But two or three times a day a waiter would fill an ice bucket with Magnums and Cornettos and circulate the outside sunbed area trying to sell them.

 

There was no sign of a drinks menu on the tables anywhere! I heard someone ask for one and the waitress fetched one from behind the bar- it was then taken away again! But every table did have a hard plastic triangular display sign promoting the snacks and crisps, the premium wines available, and the cocktail of the day. The premium wines were from £12.95(Piesporter) to £16.95 (Pinot Grigio) a bottle with a measly £2 discount per bottle for those on the drinks package, and a glass was £4.20 to £4.90 but a £1 discount per glass if you were on the drinks package, ie, £3.20 to £3.90 a glass.

 

A wine package was available- if you asked the waiter he would bring you a printed list from behind the bar- I think it was six bottles, once you had got a bottle open you could carry it from bar to bar. I heard tiny Hazel whooping with joy one afternoon on the Lido deck saying she had sold a wine package- she was clearly delighted so they must get a bit of commission?

 

One poor waiter had been given the job of promoting sizzling steaks! he stood at the entrance to the Lido buffet with a coloured photo of a steak on a plate with half a dozen chips and veg,asking everybody, every night, if they would like to go for the steak option at £9.95 per person. I kept asking him jokingly how many he had sold- one night the answer was none- another night it was 4. It became a bit irritating- I felt sorry for the guy.

 

The new sunbeds have previously been mentioned I think. The chairs and sofas on the Lido deck are mock rattan effect- curiously they do not put the cushion bases on these till about 4pm in the afternoon!

 

Otherwise everything was as I remembered- wonderful.

 

Flopsy

[kruzseeka]

Yes I think the wine waiters are on commission. I think the reason the cushions aren't put out until late afternoon/evening is because of people using the pool sitting on them in wet cossies! :eek:

Edited November 7, 2014 by kruzseeka

[Flopsy]

Yes I think the wine waiters are on commission. I think the reason the cushions aren't put out until late afternoon/evening is because of people using the pool sitting on them in wet cossies! :eek:

 

Nobody was in the pool to my knowledge this week! Cushions would have made all the difference olo!

 

Flopsy

[geomagot]

who knows why the 'platinum' designers designed wicker chairs with funky scatter cushions for a pool area!..... That was never gonna work?:rolleyes:

 

But could answer the question as to why they have employed new designers for the recent celebration makeover (and the soon to be refurbed dream)

 

however imo (as far as the pics on f/b show) they have completely butchered horizons! :eek: and liberties isn’t much better

[davecttr]

Has much changed? Well, still an almost complete lack of seats :mad: Get rid of a lot of those daft loungers and replace them with twice as many seats.

 

the big and little crypts were the same (Ocean and Delo bars) Others call the lighting atmospheric, I call it just plain dark. The only bar adequately lit is in the Medusa lounge but you have little chance of sitting there as it was 'bagged' by the same group of people for most of the cruise.

 

Apparently the Ocean bar is to get a makeover soon?

 

I had to ask for a bar menu, they had dozens in the cupboard but soon wisked it away after I read it. I can only put this down to an attempt to disguise which drinks you had to pay for. I bought 3 drinks in 6 minutes one night. No i didn't so there is a scam running there. At least those drinks cost me nothing.

 

The cabin was surprisingly good and the staff friendly etc etc but I still think Dream lacks something which I can't quite articulate. Maybe no horizons to escape to?

[kruzseeka]

I hate to mention this but the last time the drinks menus disappeared altogether was at the change over between seasons when they launched a new one with the AI being slashed to a fraction of what it had been before...... eg just three cocktails included plus a 'cocktail of the day '. There was outrage on here not least of all because those who had paid for it did so in the belief that it would look like it had in the past and were suddenly faced with a fraction of the choices they expected. It changed back to the old one within the week!

 

So let's hope this is just a delay in printing new menus and not a repeat performance! :eek:

[Julessmiles]

who knows why the 'platinum' designers designed wicker chairs with funky scatter cushions for a pool area!..... That was never gonna work?:rolleyes:

 

But could answer the question as to why they have employed new designers for the recent celebration makeover (and the soon to be refurbed dream)

 

however imo (as far as the pics on f/b show) they have completely butchered horizons! :eek: and liberties isn’t much better

 

 

Horizons looks like a Nursing Home IMO - the blue chairs look lovely but the pink chairs really are old people's chair but they are changing the market next year with no families so maybe they are expecting lots of older people onboard!

[Jakanne1]

Thanks for that review, Flopsy. The ice cream machines and the drinks menus were not being used for the first two days on our recent cruise as a precaution against NV being spread on board. Also, buffet food was being served by crew.

 

Dave, I noticed that the bar "regulars" got served quickly too at some of the bars.

 

On the Majesty, when on the DP, you got a receipt which you could keep and (if sad like me) check against your statement to see if the DP cost was worth it. On Dream you didn't get a receipt if it was FOC so couldn't check but I know for a fact that not all our FOC drinks were itemised (cannot work out a scam there) but two cocktails not on the bar list were not charged, (not complaining there either). It just seemed that it was not "a tight ship" as far as drinks were concerned.

[Tony1878]

When we were on the Dream in September, there was a definite change in the drinks staff.

I struggled to get a drink in the MDR and had to ask one of the food waiters to send someone over to take an order, I couldn't get a refill either.

I promise it was nothing to do with any attitude from me either.

The same could be said for most areas I found.

[Flopsy]

On the first day they were quite strict about producing one card for each drink, so we had to hand over both our cards to get a drink each.

 

We were on all inclusive drinks package.We usually ordered a pint and a half. On a number of occasions a refill pint and a half was brought to us by the waiter who took the first order, but without taking our cards- when I said 'we haven't signed?' the waiter said 'I've signed for you'. What's that about lol!

 

Flopsy

[maggie 57]

We found a few changes. I think there were less drinks waiters. Once ordered it could take a while for drinks to arrive. We are not big drinkers so didn't worry us. Elegant tea in Argo was really busy and again not enough staff. In January they were happy to make the flavoured teas for us but they were too busy this time. Again not a big thing.

We had 2 meals in MDR, one took one and a half hours the other 2 hours so we ate in buffet after that. I think it was the time it took for the food to be ready rather than not enough waiters. We were happy with the quality of the food but think the Majesty, in May, was slightly better.

Again I think the reception staff deal,on the Majesty, deal with issues in a better way. This cruise we had a smell in our cabin and in the corridor. As no one else had gone to reception about it and I felt I wasn't believed. We had heard other people commenting on the smell. To be fair they eventually offered to move us but with only 2 nights left we declined. I just think their attitude could have been better.

Saying all that we had a great time. The ports of call were good. It was disappointing that we missed Cartagena but the port was closed due to bad weather. We would be happy to sail on the dream again.

Maggie

 

 

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[Jakanne1]

Well I'm pleased I'm not the only one questioning the drinks situation, Tony and Flopsy. I have already discussed it on FB. After waiting ages to order drinks on numerous occasions I went to the bar and was asked to return to my seat as it was waiter service, despite the fact that there were a number of pax drinking at the bar.

 

In particular my DH was not impressed by the drinks service and quality of the food in both the buffet and MDR and I'm afraid to say it was not as good as when I was on Dream in February, although on reflection the first two days in February were very poor until we (4 ladies) were rescued by Fergie. Plus, in comparison, the service and quality of food in the hotel part of our cruise and stay, was far superior.

 

I still enjoyed my cruise, despite quite a few niggles. The food and service in the Grill was excellent. One wonders whether making an extra "pay for" restaurant is to generate more ££££ from dissatisfied diners. :rolleyes: We certainly would have booked again but unfortunately the Grill was fully booked for the rest of our week. The couple on the next table to us ate there all week after the first night in the MDR.

[Jakanne1]

Maggie, I too would say that the food in the MDR on Majesty and Spirit was better than Dream. On the 3 night cruise to Amsterdam in August, I was surprised to have very tender, good quality beef or steak each night and the buffet restaurant was much better than the Lido restaurant on Dream.

 

It would still not put me off another cruise on Dream as the ports of call and travelling from a local airport are very important to me. It shall be interesting to see what the affects of the new contract will be, if any.

[Jakanne1]

On a brighter note, I thought the standard of entertainment in Broadway in September was far better than that in February, although the team in February were very hardworking and energetic and seemed to be around on deck more. The quality of the singers, including Brandi and Max, was excellent. The show team on Spirit were also excellent this summer.

[shintaro]

It might be a blessing if they have cut down on staff perpetualy pestering you to buy a Drink from as soon as you sit down and then every few minutes from then on if you say no.

 

Not being a drinker I got fed up with it very quickly.

 

As for the food in the MDR we had superb service and very high quality food throughout our 2 Back to back cruises on the Dream this year ouit of Barbados

[gillhalfpint]

Keep a little white coaster to pop on the table till you are ready to be served. They will likely think someone else is serving you. Pop in back in your bag when ready to be served.

[Flopsy]

Keep a little white coaster to pop on the table till you are ready to be served. They will likely think someone else is serving you. Pop in back in your bag when ready to be served.

 

Never thought of that but now you have mentioned it I am very impressed Gill!